Once
you have become a follower of Jesus Christ, at the first opportunity you
should be baptized in water. This is an important symbolic rite that declares
to the world that you have identified with Jesus Christ in His death and
resurrection.Therefore we have been buried with Him through
baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the
glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:4)
This will likely be performed by the pastor or one of the other leaders
in your church. Because somewhere along the way some groups have changed
the original form of this sacrament, you will want to make sure it is being
done as outlined in the Bible. There are two basic elements you need to
be sure of. First, they need to use the correct baptismal formula.Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them in the name of
the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19)
If you have found yourself in a church that baptizes only in Jesus name,
leave,
and don't come back, as you have wandered into a church that denies the
Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). These churches are thankfully relatively
rare, as
the doctrine of the Trinity has been widely accepted in virtually all Christian
denominations for the last two thousand years.
The second element to ask about is whether they do baptism by sprinkling
or immersion. A simple check of the original Greek, as well as a perusal
of Biblical texts describing baptisms will make it abundantly clear that
total immersion is what Christ intended. The act of being fully submerged
in water and then pulled back out is a beautiful and obvious representation
of death and resurrection. Dribbling a few drops of water on your head doesn't
quite paint the same picture, does it?
Approach this special event with prayer and meditation, and expect to be
very blessed by it. Let it remind you of the new life that Jesus has purchased
for you by His death on the Cross. Let the world know that you are His forever!